Indian restaurant in Canada explodes, wounding 15; suspects used IED, still at large

By Rob Gillies - Associated Press - Friday, May 25, 2018TORONTO (AP) — An explosion caused by “improvised explosive device” ripped through an Indian restaurant in a mall in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, wounding 15 people, Canadian police said.

Peel Region Sgt. Matt Bertram said two suspects with their faces covered to conceal their identity entered the Bombay Bhel restaurant, and dropped some sort of IED device and fled.

“We have no indication to call it a hate crime or any kind of terrorism act,” Bertram said.

Peel Region paramedic Joe Korstanje said three people suffered critical injuries and were taken to the hospital while the remaining 12 victims suffered what he described as minor and superficial injuries.

The explosion happened just after 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, and the plaza where the restaurant is located was still sealed off on Friday.

“Nothing was said by these individuals,” Bertram said. “It appears they just went in, dropped off this device, and took off right away.”

Bertram said they couldn’t say what the device was yet.

“Different callers called in and said it was firecrackers or some said gunshot sort of noises. I don’t think it was an explosion that was rocking anything,” he said. “Until we can get in there and analyze the material after the search warrant we won’t be able to say what it was.”

Andre Larrivee, who lives in a nearby condo, said he was watching television and heard a loud explosion

“It was really loud,” he said, comparing the noise to an electric generator that had exploded at a nearby construction site recently.

Police asked for the public’s help and released a photo of the suspects, with dark hoodies pulled over their heads and their faces covered.

Peel region police, in a tweet, described the first suspect as in his mid-20s, 5-foot-10 to 6-feet with a stocky build, wearing dark blue jeans, a dark zip-up hoodie and a baseball cap with a light gray peak.

The second suspect is described as a little shorter with a thin build, wearing faded blue jeans, a dark zip-up hoodie pulled over his head, gray T-shirt and dark colored skate shoes.

Hours after the incident, the Indian consulate in Toronto tweeted it had opened a helpline for those seeking assistance following the explosion

The restaurant describes itself online as an authentic, yet casual, Indian dining experience.

_________________The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.- misattributed to Alexis De Tocqueville

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Police are searching for two men in connection with an improvised explosive device (IED) blast inside a restaurant in Mississauga, Ont., that wounded 15 people.

Three people who suffered critical injuries in the Thursday blast were rushed to a trauma centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. The hospital said they were listed in serious condition on Friday.

Jennifer Evans, Peel Regional Police chief, said the three include a 35-year-old Brampton man, a 62-year-old Mississauga woman and a 48-year-old Mississauga woman.

"I want to assure everyone that every police resource is being used to locate the people responsible for this horrendous act," Evans told reporters near the scene Friday morning.

Other victims, who range in age from 23 to 69, were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals and released.

According to police, two males with their faces covered to conceal their identities entered the Bombay Bhel restaurant, at 5035 Hurontario St., dropped an IED and fled. Police said in a news release they were seen fleeing eastbound on foot, and believe the two left in a vehicle.

Police received a call about an explosion at about 10:30 p.m. ET.

Evans said Peel police have notified police in Toronto, York, Durham and Halton Regions as well as the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP as they search for two suspects.

She said two separate, private parties were occurring in the restaurant. People were celebrating birthdays, police said. Children under age 10 were at the parties, but not injured.

Evans said it's too early to say if the blast in the area of Hurontario Street and Eglinton Avenue East was terror related.

'No indication that this is a terrorist act'"There is no indication that this is a terrorist act, no indication that this is a hate crime. At this time, we haven't ruled anything out as we start our investigation."

Officers are interviewing witnesses and victims and collecting evidence at the scene. People who left the restaurant are urged to call Peel police.

The restaurant was evacuated after the incident and is now locked down as police investigate, she said. It will be hours before the plaza, where it is located, is reopened.

Evans said there was a "considerable amount" of damage to the restaurant. She could not say where exactly inside the blast occurred.

"Please understand that this investigation is in its early stages and we are doing our best to share what information as it becomes available."

Photos, video and the rest of the article at above link

_________________The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.- misattributed to Alexis De Tocqueville

No representations made as to the accuracy of info in posted news articles or links

“We have no indication to call it a hate crime or any kind of terrorism act,”

Oh ok that's good to know. Just a few ppl seriously injured, blowed up randomly then. No need to be concerned about this clear and present danger.

"Nothing to see here. and so on"

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